A device that connects multiple computer networks and finds the best path for a data packet to be sent from one network to another. A router stores and forwards electronic messages between networks, first determining all possible paths to the destination address and then picking the most expedient route, based on the traffic load and the number of hops. A router works at the network layer (layer 3 of the OSI model); a bridge works at the data link layer (layer 2). A router does more processing than a bridge, and provide more functionality than bridges. Routers provide network management capabilities such as load balancing, partitioning of the network, use statistics, communication priority, and trouble shooting tools that allow network managers to detect and correct problems even in a complex network of networks. Given these capabilities, routers are often used in building wide area or enterprise wide networks. Some routers are protocol-dependent, and some are protocol-independent. A router can be hardware or a combination of hardware and software. In internet terminology, routers are also called "gateways". See internet, WAN, WWW.